I welcome you back to the philosophical and dreamy realm that is my little story. Each segment (which so far has no determinable length) answers questions and brings up more... I hope that is acceptable. I'd like to take a moment and approach the subject of the ratio in these stories to how many of the ten guys could actually be gay. I actually see the point that all of them can't be homosexual... but one benefit to fiction is that you can make anyone do anything you want. I've made some of them straight in my story but in order to keep an interesting flow, I've given almost all of the boys an "experimental side". It is only fair. Besides, if you wish to get stereotypical, each of them could have been chosen to be in their respective bands because they are cute, fashionable, emotional and talented- all qualities of a gay man! (Hey, I love straight guys too, I am just proving a point- LOL). So, this is a fun fictional tale and I would like to believe that on some level it has a reality of its own. I don't make any character unbelievable as far as I know. So, those who are gay are gay. Those who are not are not. I'm sure you can agree with that! BrwyDevil@aol.com
Running Thoughts Part Six: "Putting It Together"
New York was a hell of a town. The whole environment here was always hectic and crowded. Surprisingly, though, the city was amazingly organized. At least it was for celebrities. The theatre scene and the eccentric Village and the business centers and the architecturally breathtaking constructions... it was definitely one of a kind.
The BackStreet Boys stepped out of the tall bus and stretched their legs. It was rather early in the morning and the bright sun shined off of the windowpanes of the buildings above. The rising ball of fire in the sky seemed to be peeking out from down one of the side streets. An orange hue blanketed the entire city. Nick stepped onto the cracked sidewalk and shielded his eyes from the brightness. He squinted and turned away from the direction of the sun. That was a disadvantage to heavily tinted windows.
AJ yawned as he waited on the side of the bus. He leaned up against the smooth, cool vehicle. He was not a morning person. He didn't know how anyone could be. He took a swig from his little bottle of orange juice and grimaced at its bitter, warm taste.
"It's October! How can it be so hot here?" Kevin asked as he put his sunglasses on.
"Greenhouse effect." Nick answered. Kevin moved past AJ with a shudder and avoided eye contact. His dream was still strong within him.
Howie and Brian were the last to get out of the bus. They were bickering over something trivial again.
"But if you put gel in your hair, it makes it very difficult for..." he looked around chose his words carefully, "... for someone to run their fingers through it." He hinted quite adamantly. Brian shut his eyes and shook his head.
"It looks good, ok?" Brian mused.
"That's debatable." Howie muttered. The rest of the group smiled at the old-fashioned couple. It was certainly adorable. They all waited in the sun for a long time. Not many people walked these uptown streets at this hour. And those who did were too busy or too brain-dead to care if a celebrity stood across from them. For the most part, anyway.
"All right, guys..." Jack said as he approached them from behind. Jack was one of the newest and youngest touring secretaries. He was freshfaced and inexperienced but very methodical and always on the money. He was tall with curly blond hair and light green eyes. "You're going to scout the Madison Square Garden concert hall tonight... there's an event going on there, so we'll have to move through without being detected. Can we all handle that?" he smiled.
The boys nodded sluggishly as a few of the musicians approached the bus to retrieve their luggage. "As for today, you're free to sleep. We have an early practice session tomorrow morning... I won't be keeping you out too late tonight but be ready to go to the Garden at six o'clock." Jack bellowed. Everyone lifted their bags and headed across the street towards the hotel.
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The plane set down at the large airport and skidded slowly to a quaint stop. The personnel rushed out and connected the gangway to the side of the plane. The stewardess (or flight attendant if you prefer) wished the passengers well as they departed into the terminal. The members of N'Sync nodded respectfully to the young woman and moved off of the passageway. Lance slapped JC's hand away as he tried to slip her his phone number.
The press and hoards of fans screamed wildly as they came into view. N'Sync smiled and waved. The manager of the airport spoke into the microphone, "Welcome to New York!"
More rampant screams echoed from the crowd. Chris approached the podium and prepared to address the loyal people in front of him. The excited group toned down a bit and waited for him to speak. Chris opened his mouth and let his eyes scan over the eager faces before him. He exhaled heavily and cleared his throat. Lance chewed on the inside of his cheek with anticipation. He saw what Chris was capable of. He crossed his fingers for support.
"Hey..." Chris grunted. The crowd went wild. He grinned, swallowed hard and stepped back away from the microphone. Lance shook his head and guided himself over to the front of the little stage.
"Thanks for the opportunity to play here... We love you- and we love New York!" he reeled enthusiastically. The screams exploded greatly and the noble security guards showed up to take them to the waiting limo.
"See you at the concert!" JC yelled behind him as they rushed out of the airport. Joey lagged behind and put his arm around Justin who had been rather quiet.
"They worship you, man!" he laughed. "I've never seen so many t-shirts with your ugly head on them before!" Joey joked.
"At least I'm on t-shirts. They had to give yours away to the Salvation Army so that someone might give them a chance." Justin poked back. Both of them giggled as they jumped into the limo.
The five guys caught their breath and watched the passing scenes out of the windows as the car moved away. Chris looked dejected and thoughtful. Lance noticed his expression.
"Don't worry. You'll talk up a storm next time." he comforted. Chris just shrugged his shoulders and stared out into space. Lance understood the reaction. Chris had so much to offer but no outlet to do it in. Lance turned his head and saw Justin sitting next to him. "Hey, Jus... how was the club last night?"
"Kinda boring. Bland music. Overenthusiastic teenyboppers... obnoxious and loud. A club's a club." Justin droned. Lance nodded knowingly. He knew Justin needed something new in his life. Something to make him happy.
The limo ride was like grim death. Joey was tired. Chris was depressed. Justin was distant and JC was... well he was just being JC. Lance sighed to himself and shut his eyes. He couldn't wait till their concert that night. At least they would pretend to be happy then.
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A knock came on the door. Brian opened up and grinned to the waiter. He took the tray and gave the man a tip. He shut the door and walked back over to the bed where Howie was resting.
"Lunch is served, sir." Brian grinned as he slid down onto the sheets. He took the top cover off of the tray and moved the food around. "Your french fries with gravy..." he announced with a smile.
"I thank you."
"Not a problem..." he uncovered his own dish. "Mmmmmm chicken fingers..." he salivated. The two boys looked at each other for a second. These were the times to remember. The joyous meals they could share. The sweet fleeting moments they had together. Howie leaned over and pecked Brian on the cheek. They grinned and each other and began to eat.
"I forgot to order some sodas..." Brian exclaimed after a moment. Howie licked his pointer finger seductively.
"Wherever will we get a sweet fluid to wash down this food?" he asked. Brian shook his head with a chuckle.
"You are unstoppable."
"And you love it!"
Brian moved across the bed to lay at Howie's side. He stroked his lover's leg and snuggled up to his shoulder. They felt each others heart beat and they let each other fall silent. They shared the rhythm of breathing. They were alive together. Howie gripped Brian's hand and he felt he knew what happiness was.
Twenty minutes passed before Howie opened his eyes and realized they had spaced out. "Sweetie, our food's getting cold."
Brian let the sides of his lip curve upward. He pulled away from Howie very slowly. "We wouldn't want that!" he whispered. He sat back up and took a piece of chicken from his plate. He fed it to Howie and grinned. "How's that?"
"Delicious... almost as good as you!" They giggled and filled the air around them with the music of love. "Now let's talk about that gel in your hair..."
It was a great time for them. Fame and acclaim worldwide and the opportunity to be together. Nothing would overpower the feelings that had... nothing that was evident yet anyway.
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The beautiful hills decked with a luminous display of multicolored flowers spun wildly around. A wide blue sky topped off the dream scene. Flowing clouds mingled together in the sky and danced together above the world. Lance envisioned the light green blanket with Nick Carter fast asleep on it.
He saw himself running towards Nick. His legs felt heavy and feeble.He wanted to reach the blond beauty. He wanted to see what this dream was all about. Was he attracted to Nick? Yes. He knew he was. But what more was there? What was he supposed to do?
His eagerness drew him closer and closer to the boy in the sun. Nick was shirtless and peaceful. Lance was nearly there- nearly at the blanket- nearly next to-
His eyes shot open. It was midday. He had fallen alseep. The jetlag had gotten to him worse than he thought. Lance lifted his wrist and checked the time. 4:17. They would be leaving soon. He lifted himself up and turned on the radio. Something had to keep him from falling back asleep. He shed his tanktop and stretched in front of the mirror.
"No, no, no, Pat!" the disk jockey guffawed. "According to the online survey, most people think that the Spice Girls aren't popular anymore because they simply got sex change operations and became N'Sync!" There was uproarious laughter from the radio.
Lance just shook his head. He was far too big to get upset over the media. Especially a New York radio station that most people probably ignored. "Any publicity is good publicity." he always said.
The mindless DJ stopped chatting and let a song play. Lance walked off to find his suitcase. He opened his ears and waited for the sounds of the radio. It was a BackStreet Boys song. Lance sunk to the floor in deep thought.
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Madison Square Garden was packed for the N'Sync concert. They were scheduled to perform for the whole weekend. This particular show was special, though. Gloria Estefan was making a guest appearance so they could do "Music Of My Heart" together. They were sure the crowd would go wild- even if the song was overplayed.
The five boys smiled widely and used their charisma to charm the countless fans who waved their arms around and screamed for no real reason. They were having a relatively normal time. Very relaxed and laid back.
The audience would have loved them no matter what they did. Loyal fans were great to have. You always feel their support and the sense of pressure is greatly decreased. During one of the dance numbers, Justin kicked a little too hard and one of his shoes sailed out into the crowd. An explosion of laughter and applause bombarded the stage.
Even the rest of the band laughed. Composure wasn't necessary since their was no fourth wall during these types of concerts. The spotlights were very bright... the boys could barely see the people out past the first few rows...
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A stretch limo pulled up in front of the Garden. The most of the people were too busy looking inside for the members of N'Sync to realize. Inside the car, the secretary, Jack, spoke to the BackStreet Boys.
"We have a concert going on in here... I don't plan on staying very long." He made eye contact with each man. "Look at the space, observe the stage, pay attention to your surroundings." Jack scooted towards the door. "Remain inconspicuous- don't make yourselves known. I'll be splitting you up, so I am pretty sure you'll go unnoticed." Jack opened the limo door.
The busy streets ignored the superstars as they lined up in front of the car. "We'll all meet up in the dressing room area at the end of the concert... which only has about an hour and a half left." Jack backed his way out of the limo. "Remember what I've said!"
The car behind the limo opened up and several security guards stepped out. Fortunately, someone was able to convince the burly protectors to dress casually. Anyone inside would be able to pinpoint a celebrity if they were being escourted around by a Mack truck dressed in all black.
Perry, a rather short fellow, stepped over to AJ and Kevin. His face was grim and emotionless. He gestured to both of them and began walking towards the arena. AJ gave Kevin an amused look and mimicked the walk of his bodyguard. The two of them eventually vanished from sight and Jack looked over some of his paperwork.
"I wonder what kind of weightlifting bodyguard they have assigned to us!" Howie nudged Brian with a chuckle. Jack overheard the remark and stepped over to the couple.
"Just you, Howie." Jack smiled.
"What do you mean?"
"Well, there are five of you in the group. I divided you up into pairs. So there was naturally one of you left over..." Jack explained. "So it's just going to be you, me and our bodyguard." he gestured to a figure standing at the far end of the limo.
Howie turned and saw a very tall blonde woman glaring at him. Certainly not what he was expecting. "Is this like that Pamela Anderson TV show or something?" he said under his breath.
"Let's go, Patrice." Jack called over. The leggy woman threw her cigarette into the gutter and strutted over towards the men.
"I really don't feel safe." Howie squeaked as they began walking away. Brian squeezed his lover's hand and winked. Howie nodded and smiled and then grimaced as Jack pushed them all along towards the entrance.
"You're with me, guys." another voice came from behind the limo. Nick and Brian turned to see Peter, their driver, getting ready to take them in.
"You're a bodyguard too?"
"You've gotta pay the bills." he smirked. The last three men left the open sidewalk and stepped into the extremely loud and overly rowdy N'Sync concert.
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You never know What you've done for me What your faith in me Has done for my soul And you'll never know the gift you've given me I'll carry it with me, yeah
There was a slight lull as the slow croon melodically hummed through the stadium. Everyone was quite surprised to have Estefan on the stage that night. It was very pleasant. This song was the source for an upcoming movie and a large screen behind the stage displayed scenes and images from the film as an added bonus. For the most part, however, no one was paying attention to the clips.
Through all the days ahead I think of days before You made me hope for something better and made me reach for something more
You taught me to run You taught me to fly Help me to free the me inside Help me hear the music of my heart Help me hear the music of my heart You opened my eyes You opened the door To something I've never known before And your love Is the music of my heart
"We're going to go up to the top level, folks." Peter said as he guided Nick and Brian to a stairwell on the other side of a crowd of young girls. So far, no one saw them for who they really were. Good. Nick didn't want to take away from the attention being given to N'Sync. As a matter of fact, he hadn't shaved that morning so that the shadowy light stubble would slightly mask his face. He was wearing his favorite grey cap and very baggy, nondescript clothing. The limelight was something he rarely sought out.
You were the one Always on my side Always standing by Seeing me through
You were the song that always made me sing I'm singing this for you Everywhere I go I think of where I've been And of the one who knew me better Than anyone ever will again
Nick and the others were walking close to the technical booth at the top row of the arena. The heads of people blocked his view of the stage below. The beautiful voice filled the air... but it wasn't Gloria he was listening to. He walked up a free ramp to his left side and squinted to see who was singing. As he walked in front of the technical booth, he blocked a spotlight and stared at the five people on the stage. He felt an overwhelmingly strong wave of deja vu flow through him. He had done this before...
"Are you all right?" Brian asked him. Nick did not take his eyes off of the source of the voice that let his spirit free. He stared at Justin. From the very back of Madison Square Garden, he felt like he was right next to Justin. He felt a strange sensation in his chest. Brian put his hand on Nick's shoulder. "Hey, Nick?"
"I'm sorry... I just..." Nick snapped back into reality. "I just felt something."
"Are you okay?" Brian spoke over the crowd.
"I think so..." Nick could barely be heard as he let his eyes focus on Brian's face.
What you taught me Only your love could ever teach me You got through when no one could reach me before 'Cus you always saw in me All the best that I could be It was you who set me free
You taught me to run You taught me to fly Help me to free the me inside Help me hear the music of my heart Help me hear the music of my heart You opened my eyes You opened the door To something I've never known before And your love Is the music of my heart The music of my heart...
The audience exploded in a gigantic ovation as the song ended. Cries of praise and screams of excitement echoed through the streets of Manhattan. Nick, Brian and Peter made their way down the private stairwell and found themselves backstage. Ahead of them was a set of double doors where they saw AJ and Kevin with their silent bodyguard.
"What do you guys think?" Kevin asked as he put his hands in his pockets.
"It's big..." Brian shrugged- not knowing exactly what to say. He turned around and looked to see which way Howie would be coming from.
"There's a bit of a scheduling problem, boys..." AJ hummed. "Jack is working it out but it seems we may have to stay an extra week."
"Why?" Nick asked.
"N'Sync is signed up to play this weekend." Kevin answered.
"I thought they were only doing tonight!?" Brian interjected.
"There was some mishap between managers... we both got the same weekend." Kevin responded passively.
"It'll all work out." Nick grinned. Everyone's eyes fell on him with surprise. They weren't used to him being an optimist. After a moment of silence, they nodded in agreement. It was at this moment that the door behind Brian flew open and Justin stumbled forward and fell right into Nick. They tumbled to the floor and Nick slammed his head on the grey concrete wall behind him.
Brian rushed over to the two boys and kneeled down to make sure they were all right. He only needed to wait a split second for their response. They both laughed hysterically. Justin's missing shoe (which had been lost in the audience) made him lose balance. He shook his head and realized he was practically sitting up in Nick's lap.
"Hey, I'm sorry, man... I didn't mean to knock you down." Justin grinned and his eyes met Nick's. They were silent for a moment. Brian interrupted and helped Justin stand up. Nick felt the pain in his head melt away as he saw Justin's eyes. As he felt Justin's eyes invade him. Fulfill him.
"No harm done." Nick answered sheepishly as he grabbed Justin's hand to rise from the floor. Their equal strength flowed through each othr like an electric current.
"I couldn't have asked for a more comfortable place to land." Justin said when Nick finally rose. The rest of the boys watched the scene silently and smiled. Something was in the air.
The stage door behind Brian opened once again and the rest of N'Sync came through. They were surprised to see the BackStreet Boys there but they nodded respectfully. They had been at several functions together over the years.
"Sorry, Jus... we couldn't find your show anywhere. It's a souvenier to some loyal fan now." Chris shrugged.
"There'll be an auction at EBAY.com about it tomorrow." Joey laughed. There was an uncomfortable pause. Lance stared at Nick... his mind reeling in several directions. He looked down and noticed something odd.
"Do you two know each other?" Lance asked. Nick and Justin didn't understand what he meant until they realized they were still holding hands from when Justin had helped Nick up. Their eyes met again and they smiled. Slowly, they let each other go.
"We do now."
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Okay, that was another one of the longer ones. I hope you are enjoying it. I am not certain what people like to see or if anyone is liking what I am doing so please feel free to send all love letters and all hate mail to me at BrwyDevil@aol.com. I love mail! Aren't these relationships just great? If you find yourself with a sentimental romantic, don't do anything to ruin it, folks! Kevin.